Stephanie Faris's Blog, page 37
December 14, 2015
There’s Something Magical About Christmas Movies
One of the best things about Christmas? This:
Of course, the acting in most of those movies is bad...and the plots have more holes than a piece of Swiss cheese.
But there's something about these movies that put you in the Christmas spirit.
For many of us, Christmas isn't Christmas without a real Christmas movie. For my generation and older, it takes the classics--the movies we grew up watching. Movies like this:
And this:
And this:
Okay, and maybe a little of this:
They can remake these classics, but there's nothing like the original for those who were there to see it. Many of us have added a few new favorites over the years, including movies like:
And:
And:
But there are so many great Christmas movies, it can be hard to pick just one. I suppose for me, because I've seen all of the above movies, the Hallmark Channel movies are the only new ones to watch. Plus, they have sweet love stories. Who can resist a good romance? (Men, don't answer that!)
What's your favorite Christmas movie?
Of course, the acting in most of those movies is bad...and the plots have more holes than a piece of Swiss cheese.
But there's something about these movies that put you in the Christmas spirit.
For many of us, Christmas isn't Christmas without a real Christmas movie. For my generation and older, it takes the classics--the movies we grew up watching. Movies like this:
And this:
And this:
Okay, and maybe a little of this:
They can remake these classics, but there's nothing like the original for those who were there to see it. Many of us have added a few new favorites over the years, including movies like:
And:
And:
But there are so many great Christmas movies, it can be hard to pick just one. I suppose for me, because I've seen all of the above movies, the Hallmark Channel movies are the only new ones to watch. Plus, they have sweet love stories. Who can resist a good romance? (Men, don't answer that!)
What's your favorite Christmas movie?
December 11, 2015
Introducing Captives by Megan Whitson Lee
When I saw that Megan Whitson Lee had a new book out, I knew I had to help out. I loved Megan's book Song from the Ashes, and I knew from the cover I'd love this one. Here's the beautiful cover for Captives:
And here's all you need to know about it to know you need to head to Amazon and buy your copy!
Blurb:
When seventeen-year-old Amy Timothy disappears from a rural Virginia truck stop, world-renowned cellist Blaise Timothy puts her life on hold to join the search for her sister. While conducting her own investigation into Amy’s disappearance, Blaise seeks solace in addictive and destructive relationships.
Three years later, the search for Amy becomes a homicide investigation and catches the attention of national media and sex trafficking activists. Less than a mile from where Amy’s body is recovered, Andrew Victor attempts to manage a failing career in art, an addiction to pornography, and a family secret that links him to the murder investigation. In Washington, DC, Asha Edgewater knows first-hand the horrors of sex slavery and lends support to the Timothy family even as she comes to terms with her own past. As all three lives intersect in their search for redemption and healing, they find it is only possible through God’s grace.
Bio:
Megan Whitson Lee writes inspirational fiction involving characters standing at the crossroads of major life decisions, crises of faith, and moral dilemmas. She is passionate about tough, relevant topics such as sex trafficking and addictions. She is also the author of Song from the Ashes, a modern retelling of Edith Wharton’s classic novel, Age of Innocence.
Megan has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from George Mason University. She is an editor for Pelican Book Group and teaches high school English in Fairfax County, Virginia where she lives with her husband and two greyhounds.
Links:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Author Page
And here's all you need to know about it to know you need to head to Amazon and buy your copy!
Blurb:
When seventeen-year-old Amy Timothy disappears from a rural Virginia truck stop, world-renowned cellist Blaise Timothy puts her life on hold to join the search for her sister. While conducting her own investigation into Amy’s disappearance, Blaise seeks solace in addictive and destructive relationships.
Three years later, the search for Amy becomes a homicide investigation and catches the attention of national media and sex trafficking activists. Less than a mile from where Amy’s body is recovered, Andrew Victor attempts to manage a failing career in art, an addiction to pornography, and a family secret that links him to the murder investigation. In Washington, DC, Asha Edgewater knows first-hand the horrors of sex slavery and lends support to the Timothy family even as she comes to terms with her own past. As all three lives intersect in their search for redemption and healing, they find it is only possible through God’s grace.
Bio:
Megan Whitson Lee writes inspirational fiction involving characters standing at the crossroads of major life decisions, crises of faith, and moral dilemmas. She is passionate about tough, relevant topics such as sex trafficking and addictions. She is also the author of Song from the Ashes, a modern retelling of Edith Wharton’s classic novel, Age of Innocence. Megan has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from George Mason University. She is an editor for Pelican Book Group and teaches high school English in Fairfax County, Virginia where she lives with her husband and two greyhounds.
Links:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Author Page
December 9, 2015
Everyone's a Critic
When I grew up, "critic" was a job. Someone had to have some level of experience to land it. Critics worked at newspapers and magazines. They even had their own TV shows.
We knew we could trust them because, out of all of the people in the world, they were chosen to be reviewers. Whether it was true or not, there was a feeling that they had an expertise in movies, books, or whatever else they might be critiquing.
Then came the Internet. The only credential required to review something was a username and password. Goodreads, Amazon, your own blog...doesn't matter. You're officially a reviewer. Congratulations.
You can say anything you want and it's out there. Forever. Add a few fun GIFs to your review on Goodreads and other users will vote you up until you're on top. You now reign as a supreme reviewer because you can post things like this:
These reviewers could have their own agendas. Perhaps they want free books. Or maybe they want attention. Many of them, though, simply want to warn the world about bad books and become a respected authority--the person everyone comes to for good books to read.
And I fully respect those people. I'm just concerned that we seemed to have lost the filter. When I look through reviews now, I don't know if it's a family member of the author, the author's worst enemy, someone wanting to get attention, or someone who legitimately wants to leave an objective review of a author's work.
How do you feel about reviewers and critics? Do you read reviews before you read a book?
We knew we could trust them because, out of all of the people in the world, they were chosen to be reviewers. Whether it was true or not, there was a feeling that they had an expertise in movies, books, or whatever else they might be critiquing.
Then came the Internet. The only credential required to review something was a username and password. Goodreads, Amazon, your own blog...doesn't matter. You're officially a reviewer. Congratulations.
You can say anything you want and it's out there. Forever. Add a few fun GIFs to your review on Goodreads and other users will vote you up until you're on top. You now reign as a supreme reviewer because you can post things like this:
These reviewers could have their own agendas. Perhaps they want free books. Or maybe they want attention. Many of them, though, simply want to warn the world about bad books and become a respected authority--the person everyone comes to for good books to read.
And I fully respect those people. I'm just concerned that we seemed to have lost the filter. When I look through reviews now, I don't know if it's a family member of the author, the author's worst enemy, someone wanting to get attention, or someone who legitimately wants to leave an objective review of a author's work.
How do you feel about reviewers and critics? Do you read reviews before you read a book?
December 7, 2015
When Your Friends Just Want Your Money
Last week, the always-funny Military Wife wrote a blog post about Young Living Essential Oils. When I saw the title, I hesitated. But then I saw that the first picture was this...
...and knew I had to read. I should have known it would be amazing. Military Wife could make a recap of an insurance convention interesting.
I was telling her about my 20s, when it seemed all of my friends were constantly selling something. One friend seemed to think life was a constant Tupperware party. Every weekend she was inviting her friends to learn about Party-Lite candles or Pampered Chef or whatever the latest trend was. Everything but one of those girls' night out parties where everyone passes around naughty gifts.
She would never do that. She was one of these.
(Not that there's anything wrong with that.) Anyway, she now sells Essential Oils on Facebook, but she does so cleverly. She isn't annoying about it like the Younique and Scentsy people are. I use both of those products, but I'll be darned if I'll buy from one of those people who turn every status update into an ad.
When I was in my 20s, I honestly began to feel a little resentful of the friends who only called when they were hosting a party. I felt like I was a customer rather than a friend. True, these parties have been an excuse for friends to get together since back in the days when women didn't work...
But now that they're hosted on Facebook, there's no shortage of people who will try to make money off you. From high school classmates you don't even remember to distant relatives to someone you met in the blogosphere, that invitation can come from anywhere. And it's great...because you don't have to take time out of your busy schedule to attend a party. However, is it me or did we lose something along the way? Instead of having an excuse to get together, gossip, have a few margaritas, and buy a few things, we're now just blasting each other with Facebook event invitations everyone ignores.
By the way, I think I just realized what was missing from all of those parties back in my 20s! My goody-two-shoes friend didn't have these...
Have you ever felt like a friend was treating you like a customer?
...and knew I had to read. I should have known it would be amazing. Military Wife could make a recap of an insurance convention interesting.
I was telling her about my 20s, when it seemed all of my friends were constantly selling something. One friend seemed to think life was a constant Tupperware party. Every weekend she was inviting her friends to learn about Party-Lite candles or Pampered Chef or whatever the latest trend was. Everything but one of those girls' night out parties where everyone passes around naughty gifts.
She would never do that. She was one of these.
(Not that there's anything wrong with that.) Anyway, she now sells Essential Oils on Facebook, but she does so cleverly. She isn't annoying about it like the Younique and Scentsy people are. I use both of those products, but I'll be darned if I'll buy from one of those people who turn every status update into an ad.
When I was in my 20s, I honestly began to feel a little resentful of the friends who only called when they were hosting a party. I felt like I was a customer rather than a friend. True, these parties have been an excuse for friends to get together since back in the days when women didn't work...
But now that they're hosted on Facebook, there's no shortage of people who will try to make money off you. From high school classmates you don't even remember to distant relatives to someone you met in the blogosphere, that invitation can come from anywhere. And it's great...because you don't have to take time out of your busy schedule to attend a party. However, is it me or did we lose something along the way? Instead of having an excuse to get together, gossip, have a few margaritas, and buy a few things, we're now just blasting each other with Facebook event invitations everyone ignores.
By the way, I think I just realized what was missing from all of those parties back in my 20s! My goody-two-shoes friend didn't have these...
Have you ever felt like a friend was treating you like a customer?
December 4, 2015
Author Interview: Jessica Haight and Stephanie Robinson
Today's blog tour post comes with free stuff! Not only are the authors hosting a great giveaway, but I'm giving away my advanced reader's copy of this book to one lucky commenter. Just comment and say you want it and you'll have a shot at this:
Back when I read the Advanced Reader's Copy of this book, December 2015 seemed so far away. But here we are. Today, the authors of The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow are here to talk about their book. Here they are...and don't forget to enter the giveaway and/or comment to possibly get your own free copy.
Jessica Haight Stephanie Robinson <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;}</style><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><style> </style></div><div class="MsoNormal"><style> </style><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"> How did you write a book together?</span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"> A question often asked of authors who decide to collaborate on writing a story. The underlying truth of what they are really asking is, “How did you manage to not end up hating each other during the process?” The answer to this is simple, it’s not about the ego; it’s about the book. We decided this first.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br /><div style="text-align: right;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} span.apple-style-span {mso-style-name:apple-style-span;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --</style></span><span class="apple-style-span"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">What was a surprising thing you learned while writing your book?</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WPhsffG9ZJ4..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WPhsffG9ZJ4..." width="150" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"></span></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Jessica:<span style="color: #980000;"> </span></span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">I learned a lot about myself and about discipline in writing. I am sort of a free-form writer, and it's absolutely essential to keep everything in tune and orderly to progress. Stephanie is the master of organization, so I am very lucky to have her as my co-author. Most of the time, instructions and lists sound to me like the adults in Charlie Brown, whoh, whoh, whoh. However, after working on this with my awesome writing partner, I embrace the list. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Stephanie: </span></b>I have been surprised by the amount of time Jessica and I spend discussing Fairday and her friends and coming up with ideas. Most of our conversations center around our writing and blog. I never knew how exciting it would be to write a book with someone who shares my vision and makes work fun. Also, I have been pleasantly surprised to find support for my book in places I never expected. Thanks to all of our supporters. <b> </b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><b>What was the writing process like?</b></span></span></div><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VL0kccY-80E..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VL0kccY-80E..." width="163" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"></span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18pt;">We started off brainstorming about our characters and the basic plot. </span><span style="line-height: 18pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our daily conversations were about Fairday and the DMS. We flushed out characters, story lines, and everything else both in person and on the phone. Our meetings were always productive. </span><span style="line-height: 18pt;">Using Google docs for an online format allowed us to post a chapter or two at a time that we could work on together. What an amazing tool! Being able to make changes to our book from any location opened up our world of writing and our story was written in Poland, Yellowstone, from our town libraries, and the comforts of our own homes. </span><span style="line-height: 18pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Usually one of us would start a chapter and the other person would go in and start working their magic- adding, deleting, and crafting the writing until it was a blended expression of both of our ideas.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span class="apple-style-span"><br /></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span class="apple-style-span"><b>What's it like to receive criticism and revise a manuscript?</b></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} span.apple-style-span {mso-style-name:apple-style-span;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} </style></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There were times when we threw away whole chapters and started over. This was painful, but we knew it had to be done. We wanted to write the best story we could, and so swallowing our pride became a common occurrence, which became easier to digest. Now when we receive criticism, we think of it as an opportunity to improve our story and hone our writing craft. </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><br /></span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What advice would you have for new authors?</span></b><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Be brave. Let yourself to be inspired. E</span>nter contests, attend conferences, listen to other authors tell their stories, visit book fairs and events. If you commit to your work and take yourself seriously, you'll be surprised by what you find along the way. We've met some amazing people and made great connections all over the world. We've become better writers and had loads of fun learning about what it takes to bring a book project to life. </span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sovErArgFvI..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="283" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sovErArgFvI..." width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Stephanie Robinson at the Unicorn Writers' Conference</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pk13dNqWXmM..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pk13dNqWXmM..." width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>From Left: Rachael Dugas (Agent/ Talcott Notch Literary), Jessica Haight, Stephanie Robinson, Krista Vitola (Editor/ Delacorte/ Random House)</i></span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H3OfOC_rims..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H3OfOC_rims..." /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7N7gegPPqz0..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7N7gegPPqz0..." width="212" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"I really enjoyed this book. It was a marvelously done, debut, thriller novel. Ms. Robinson and Ms. Haight are great authors that really pull you into their story. I couldn’t get out until that final sentence. And, by then I wanted more. To say I want a second book is an understatement. The writing style is compelling, and makes me feel as if I was there with Fairday and her friends. I really like the illustrations in the book. They are like the ribbon on a present, or the icing on the cake. I give this book five out of five bookworms!"</span><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">~ <i><b>Erik Weibel/ This Kid Reviews Books </b></i> </span><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Mixing realism and fantasy, Haight and Robinson’s debut opens with 11-year-old Fairday’s move from Manhattan to a small town in Connecticut, where her relentlessly cheerful parents plan to turn a dilapidated Victorian into a bed and breakfast. No sooner has the family arrived than eerie sights and sounds begin to haunt Fairday. The house turns out to hold dark secrets that everybody in town suspects but nobody can explain: a perfect mission for Fairday and her best friend Lizzy’s Detective Mystery Squad (DMS)."</span></span><br /><i><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">~ Publishers Weekly </span></b></i><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Fifth-grader Fairday Morrow's new home lives up to its spooky reputation, but she and her companions in the Detective Mystery Squad find out why. At Begonia House, strains of bagpipe music issue from behind a padlocked door, grains of sand in an hourglass have stopped falling, and a malevolent weeping willow looms in the backyard. A magic mirror shows an invisible door; a wardrobe hides secrets and a portal. Ruby Begonia vanished more than 50 years ago. Is there also a ghost? Fairday has a new, helpful friend in classmate Marcus, and her best friend Lizzy can visit on weekends to help solve the mystery. What more could readers want?"<b><i> </i></b></span><br /><b><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">~ Kirkus Reviews </span></i></b><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GSyZ-oWphX0..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GSyZ-oWphX0..." /></span></a></i></b></div><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d23ylZU90sM..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d23ylZU90sM..." width="165" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i> <style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --</style></i></b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;</style><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Jessica Haight is a true New Englander, with a deep desire to be near the ocean and a love of the four seasons. She enjoys drawing while standing up and cultivating magic in her garden. She easily floats away in the pages of a good story and is still waiting for her owl from Hogwarts. Jessica lives in Connecticut with her charming fiancé, James.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u55aiXdFhdQ..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u55aiXdFhdQ..." width="168" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Stephanie Robinson lives with her husband in a quiet town, though not as quaint as Ashpot. After teaching fifth grade for almost fifteen years, she is now enjoying her role as a school media specialist. One of the many benefits of her job is that she learns something new every day. When Stephanie isn't working, she spends her time creating stories, getting lost in books, and traveling to new places. </span><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Links:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://thesecretdmsfilesoffairdaymorr..." target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Fairday's Blog</b></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.fairdaysfiles.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Fairdayfiles.com</b></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://twitter.com/dmsfiles" target="_blank">@DMSfiles</a></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Don't forget--if you want a copy of the book, say "I want the book" (or some variation of it) in the comments. I'll pick a winner from the comments. Also be sure to enter the authors' giveaway here:</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><center><a class="rcptr" data-raflid="55b6ce4f84" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/disp..." id="rcwidget_adoaal9h" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><script src="http://stephie5741.blogspot.com//widg...
Back when I read the Advanced Reader's Copy of this book, December 2015 seemed so far away. But here we are. Today, the authors of The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow are here to talk about their book. Here they are...and don't forget to enter the giveaway and/or comment to possibly get your own free copy.
Jessica Haight Stephanie Robinson <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;}</style><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><style> </style></div><div class="MsoNormal"><style> </style><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"> How did you write a book together?</span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"> A question often asked of authors who decide to collaborate on writing a story. The underlying truth of what they are really asking is, “How did you manage to not end up hating each other during the process?” The answer to this is simple, it’s not about the ego; it’s about the book. We decided this first.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br /><div style="text-align: right;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} span.apple-style-span {mso-style-name:apple-style-span;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --</style></span><span class="apple-style-span"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">What was a surprising thing you learned while writing your book?</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WPhsffG9ZJ4..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WPhsffG9ZJ4..." width="150" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"></span></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Jessica:<span style="color: #980000;"> </span></span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">I learned a lot about myself and about discipline in writing. I am sort of a free-form writer, and it's absolutely essential to keep everything in tune and orderly to progress. Stephanie is the master of organization, so I am very lucky to have her as my co-author. Most of the time, instructions and lists sound to me like the adults in Charlie Brown, whoh, whoh, whoh. However, after working on this with my awesome writing partner, I embrace the list. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Stephanie: </span></b>I have been surprised by the amount of time Jessica and I spend discussing Fairday and her friends and coming up with ideas. Most of our conversations center around our writing and blog. I never knew how exciting it would be to write a book with someone who shares my vision and makes work fun. Also, I have been pleasantly surprised to find support for my book in places I never expected. Thanks to all of our supporters. <b> </b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><b>What was the writing process like?</b></span></span></div><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VL0kccY-80E..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VL0kccY-80E..." width="163" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"></span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18pt;">We started off brainstorming about our characters and the basic plot. </span><span style="line-height: 18pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our daily conversations were about Fairday and the DMS. We flushed out characters, story lines, and everything else both in person and on the phone. Our meetings were always productive. </span><span style="line-height: 18pt;">Using Google docs for an online format allowed us to post a chapter or two at a time that we could work on together. What an amazing tool! Being able to make changes to our book from any location opened up our world of writing and our story was written in Poland, Yellowstone, from our town libraries, and the comforts of our own homes. </span><span style="line-height: 18pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Usually one of us would start a chapter and the other person would go in and start working their magic- adding, deleting, and crafting the writing until it was a blended expression of both of our ideas.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span class="apple-style-span"><br /></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span class="apple-style-span"><b>What's it like to receive criticism and revise a manuscript?</b></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} span.apple-style-span {mso-style-name:apple-style-span;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} </style></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There were times when we threw away whole chapters and started over. This was painful, but we knew it had to be done. We wanted to write the best story we could, and so swallowing our pride became a common occurrence, which became easier to digest. Now when we receive criticism, we think of it as an opportunity to improve our story and hone our writing craft. </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><br /></span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What advice would you have for new authors?</span></b><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Be brave. Let yourself to be inspired. E</span>nter contests, attend conferences, listen to other authors tell their stories, visit book fairs and events. If you commit to your work and take yourself seriously, you'll be surprised by what you find along the way. We've met some amazing people and made great connections all over the world. We've become better writers and had loads of fun learning about what it takes to bring a book project to life. </span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sovErArgFvI..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="283" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sovErArgFvI..." width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Stephanie Robinson at the Unicorn Writers' Conference</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pk13dNqWXmM..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pk13dNqWXmM..." width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>From Left: Rachael Dugas (Agent/ Talcott Notch Literary), Jessica Haight, Stephanie Robinson, Krista Vitola (Editor/ Delacorte/ Random House)</i></span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H3OfOC_rims..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H3OfOC_rims..." /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7N7gegPPqz0..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7N7gegPPqz0..." width="212" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"I really enjoyed this book. It was a marvelously done, debut, thriller novel. Ms. Robinson and Ms. Haight are great authors that really pull you into their story. I couldn’t get out until that final sentence. And, by then I wanted more. To say I want a second book is an understatement. The writing style is compelling, and makes me feel as if I was there with Fairday and her friends. I really like the illustrations in the book. They are like the ribbon on a present, or the icing on the cake. I give this book five out of five bookworms!"</span><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">~ <i><b>Erik Weibel/ This Kid Reviews Books </b></i> </span><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Mixing realism and fantasy, Haight and Robinson’s debut opens with 11-year-old Fairday’s move from Manhattan to a small town in Connecticut, where her relentlessly cheerful parents plan to turn a dilapidated Victorian into a bed and breakfast. No sooner has the family arrived than eerie sights and sounds begin to haunt Fairday. The house turns out to hold dark secrets that everybody in town suspects but nobody can explain: a perfect mission for Fairday and her best friend Lizzy’s Detective Mystery Squad (DMS)."</span></span><br /><i><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">~ Publishers Weekly </span></b></i><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Fifth-grader Fairday Morrow's new home lives up to its spooky reputation, but she and her companions in the Detective Mystery Squad find out why. At Begonia House, strains of bagpipe music issue from behind a padlocked door, grains of sand in an hourglass have stopped falling, and a malevolent weeping willow looms in the backyard. A magic mirror shows an invisible door; a wardrobe hides secrets and a portal. Ruby Begonia vanished more than 50 years ago. Is there also a ghost? Fairday has a new, helpful friend in classmate Marcus, and her best friend Lizzy can visit on weekends to help solve the mystery. What more could readers want?"<b><i> </i></b></span><br /><b><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">~ Kirkus Reviews </span></i></b><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GSyZ-oWphX0..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GSyZ-oWphX0..." /></span></a></i></b></div><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d23ylZU90sM..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d23ylZU90sM..." width="165" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i> <style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --</style></i></b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;</style><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Jessica Haight is a true New Englander, with a deep desire to be near the ocean and a love of the four seasons. She enjoys drawing while standing up and cultivating magic in her garden. She easily floats away in the pages of a good story and is still waiting for her owl from Hogwarts. Jessica lives in Connecticut with her charming fiancé, James.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u55aiXdFhdQ..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u55aiXdFhdQ..." width="168" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Stephanie Robinson lives with her husband in a quiet town, though not as quaint as Ashpot. After teaching fifth grade for almost fifteen years, she is now enjoying her role as a school media specialist. One of the many benefits of her job is that she learns something new every day. When Stephanie isn't working, she spends her time creating stories, getting lost in books, and traveling to new places. </span><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Links:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://thesecretdmsfilesoffairdaymorr..." target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Fairday's Blog</b></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.fairdaysfiles.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Fairdayfiles.com</b></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://twitter.com/dmsfiles" target="_blank">@DMSfiles</a></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Don't forget--if you want a copy of the book, say "I want the book" (or some variation of it) in the comments. I'll pick a winner from the comments. Also be sure to enter the authors' giveaway here:</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><center><a class="rcptr" data-raflid="55b6ce4f84" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/disp..." id="rcwidget_adoaal9h" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><script src="http://stephie5741.blogspot.com//widg...
December 3, 2015
Introducing A Clueless Woman by TB Markinson
TB Markinson is no stranger to this blog. I've told you about her book launches before and even recommended her book The Miracle Girl earlier this year. Today I'm helping her celebrate her brand new book (which is FREE for download today). Check out this beautiful cover:
And here's all you need to know about it before you click over and download your own FREE copy!
Blurb:
Graduate student Lizzie Petrie feels more comfortable around books than people. Although an expert in the Hitler Youth, she’s a novice in love. Her former lesbian lover is blackmailing her, and not even those closest to Lizzie know the full story of their abusive relationship.
When visiting high school English teacher Sarah crosses Lizzie’s path at the campus, their attraction is instant, but not without complications. As they start to spend more time together, suspicions arise from both women in this sexy piece of LGBT fiction.
Plenty of good-natured teasing takes place between lovers as well as between PhD students in this lesbian contemporary romance. No relationship path ever runs smoothly, and oftentimes, those who can’t keep their mouth shut hasten necessary confrontation.
Lizzie finds herself buried in a mess of lies in this romantic comedy. The harder she tries to keep Sarah and the rest of her friends from finding out the truth about her first girlfriend, the more endearingly clueless she becomes.
Bio:
T. B. Markinson is an American writer, living in England. When she isn’t writing, she’s traveling the world, watching sports on the telly, visiting pubs, or taking the dog for a walk. Not necessarily in that order.
Get the first book in the series, A Woman Lost, for FREE by signing up to TB’s Readers’ Group here.
Links:
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon Canada | Amazon Australia | Facebook | Blog | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page
And here's all you need to know about it before you click over and download your own FREE copy!
Blurb:
Graduate student Lizzie Petrie feels more comfortable around books than people. Although an expert in the Hitler Youth, she’s a novice in love. Her former lesbian lover is blackmailing her, and not even those closest to Lizzie know the full story of their abusive relationship.
When visiting high school English teacher Sarah crosses Lizzie’s path at the campus, their attraction is instant, but not without complications. As they start to spend more time together, suspicions arise from both women in this sexy piece of LGBT fiction.
Plenty of good-natured teasing takes place between lovers as well as between PhD students in this lesbian contemporary romance. No relationship path ever runs smoothly, and oftentimes, those who can’t keep their mouth shut hasten necessary confrontation.
Lizzie finds herself buried in a mess of lies in this romantic comedy. The harder she tries to keep Sarah and the rest of her friends from finding out the truth about her first girlfriend, the more endearingly clueless she becomes.
Bio:
T. B. Markinson is an American writer, living in England. When she isn’t writing, she’s traveling the world, watching sports on the telly, visiting pubs, or taking the dog for a walk. Not necessarily in that order.
Get the first book in the series, A Woman Lost, for FREE by signing up to TB’s Readers’ Group here.
Links:
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon Canada | Amazon Australia | Facebook | Blog | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page
December 2, 2015
IWSG: The True Secret About Writers and Marketing
It's the first Wednesday of the month, which means hundreds of us will be posting about our insecurities. If you're a writer, join in!
From the time you first decide to write a book to the day you see it on shelves (or on Amazon), some time passes. During that time, you work hard to land an agent, get a publishing deal, or take the steps you need to take to self publish.
During all that time, do you spend one second thinking about how you'll promote it once you do get a book deal? If you're like me, the answer is...
"Published book" is the end goal. Then you assume you'll be worried solely about getting more published books out there. Your books will, of course, magically fly off shelves and become bestsellers overnight.
Once you've finished celebrating your book deal and the big release day gets closer, you realize you are supposed to magically know what to do. There's no blueprint to promoting this thing and all the writers' conferences in the world don't really help. Most writers' conferences are focused on getting published, not being published.
So you watch other published authors on social media. Meg Cabot is on a tour of Germany. Maybe your publisher will send you on one of those.
You soon realize your publisher isn't flying you to some exotic location. So you schedule a booksigning or four. That's what you're supposed to do, right? At your first booksigning, though, four people show up. They're all related to you.
You watch social media a little longer. Every other author seems to be constantly promoting. They're leading workshops at conferences and hanging out at bookfairs and doing TV interviews. How did they get TV interviews? Anyway...you do the same. You sell about three books at each one and wonder if it's worth it.
You eventually learn the secret of writers and book marketing. None of us has any idea what we're doing. No idea whatsoever. We're basically throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. Either you're scrambling to sell one book or you're just doing what your publisher put in your contract that you had to do because there are a few people somewhere who don't know you have a book out.
Wherever you are in your publishing journey, at least you aren't alone. We're all just trying to figure it out! There's comfort in that, I suppose.
From the time you first decide to write a book to the day you see it on shelves (or on Amazon), some time passes. During that time, you work hard to land an agent, get a publishing deal, or take the steps you need to take to self publish.
During all that time, do you spend one second thinking about how you'll promote it once you do get a book deal? If you're like me, the answer is...
"Published book" is the end goal. Then you assume you'll be worried solely about getting more published books out there. Your books will, of course, magically fly off shelves and become bestsellers overnight.
Once you've finished celebrating your book deal and the big release day gets closer, you realize you are supposed to magically know what to do. There's no blueprint to promoting this thing and all the writers' conferences in the world don't really help. Most writers' conferences are focused on getting published, not being published.
So you watch other published authors on social media. Meg Cabot is on a tour of Germany. Maybe your publisher will send you on one of those.
You soon realize your publisher isn't flying you to some exotic location. So you schedule a booksigning or four. That's what you're supposed to do, right? At your first booksigning, though, four people show up. They're all related to you.
You watch social media a little longer. Every other author seems to be constantly promoting. They're leading workshops at conferences and hanging out at bookfairs and doing TV interviews. How did they get TV interviews? Anyway...you do the same. You sell about three books at each one and wonder if it's worth it.
You eventually learn the secret of writers and book marketing. None of us has any idea what we're doing. No idea whatsoever. We're basically throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. Either you're scrambling to sell one book or you're just doing what your publisher put in your contract that you had to do because there are a few people somewhere who don't know you have a book out.
Wherever you are in your publishing journey, at least you aren't alone. We're all just trying to figure it out! There's comfort in that, I suppose.
November 30, 2015
Don't Email Me About Your Blog
Earlier this year, I participated in a group blog hop. I thought it might help, but mostly it was a waste of time. These things usually are...for one big reason:
Okay, maybe most of the people reading this blog do. Because my readers are smart. But raise your hand if you've participated in a blog hop.
Now raise your hand if you read any of the other blogs participating in that blog hop.
Which brings me back to the story about the blog hop. The host seemed extremely concerned that we all not be no-reply bloggers. I have no idea what that meant, but I was told soon into it that I was one. So I fixed it...and guess what happened?
I still don't know the specifics of "no-reply blogging," but it seemed to somehow mean that if you are one, people can't email to respond to the comments you have left on their blogs. Email. Let me repeat my above graphic...
When I participate in a blog hop (including IWSG), I make a point of reading as many blogs as I can that day. I just go through the list and read and comment. If you want to have me as a new reader, you need to click on the link and comment my blog. That's how you get added to my regular blog-reading rotation. If you email me to say, "Thank you for commenting my blog," guess what? This is me:
Am I supposed to email back? Become email pen pals? Because...excuse me...but I thought we were reading each other's blogs here. I just am so confused. So about 30 minutes into the blog hop, the answer to this question...
...was once again "YES!" I immediately stopped getting annoying spam mails. The result was I participated in a blog hop full of people who wanted pen pals, I guess, because I don't think I met a single person whose blog I still read today.
I think you guys know this...so ignore it. Maybe someone will stumble on it while Googling, "Why are so many people no-reply bloggers?!" But here's the thing. The next time you participate (or even SEE) a blog hop, go through and leave comments on all the interesting blogs you see there. If anyone new comments your blog, read their blog and comment back. It's how you build a readership. It's worked for me since 2006 when I was blogging on MySpace. Emailing thank-you notes to people who comment your blog...well, I'm not sure what that accomplishes...except maybe being seen as polite?
How do you build your own blog readership?
Okay, maybe most of the people reading this blog do. Because my readers are smart. But raise your hand if you've participated in a blog hop.
Now raise your hand if you read any of the other blogs participating in that blog hop.
Which brings me back to the story about the blog hop. The host seemed extremely concerned that we all not be no-reply bloggers. I have no idea what that meant, but I was told soon into it that I was one. So I fixed it...and guess what happened?
I still don't know the specifics of "no-reply blogging," but it seemed to somehow mean that if you are one, people can't email to respond to the comments you have left on their blogs. Email. Let me repeat my above graphic...
When I participate in a blog hop (including IWSG), I make a point of reading as many blogs as I can that day. I just go through the list and read and comment. If you want to have me as a new reader, you need to click on the link and comment my blog. That's how you get added to my regular blog-reading rotation. If you email me to say, "Thank you for commenting my blog," guess what? This is me:
Am I supposed to email back? Become email pen pals? Because...excuse me...but I thought we were reading each other's blogs here. I just am so confused. So about 30 minutes into the blog hop, the answer to this question...
...was once again "YES!" I immediately stopped getting annoying spam mails. The result was I participated in a blog hop full of people who wanted pen pals, I guess, because I don't think I met a single person whose blog I still read today.
I think you guys know this...so ignore it. Maybe someone will stumble on it while Googling, "Why are so many people no-reply bloggers?!" But here's the thing. The next time you participate (or even SEE) a blog hop, go through and leave comments on all the interesting blogs you see there. If anyone new comments your blog, read their blog and comment back. It's how you build a readership. It's worked for me since 2006 when I was blogging on MySpace. Emailing thank-you notes to people who comment your blog...well, I'm not sure what that accomplishes...except maybe being seen as polite?
How do you build your own blog readership?
November 25, 2015
Best Books of November
I usually recap my best books of the month on the last Friday...but this week is all jacked up because of the holiday. So I'm doing this one early to make sure everyone gets to see it! Here we go...all the great books I read in November.
I had so much fun reading this month's first book. Ruby Reinvented is Ronni Arno's debut novel and it's so much fun!
Ruby is the daughter of two mega-celebrities. The kind of celebrities even tweens know about. While that might seem like a cool life to lead, we learn through Ruby's story that it can royally suck. You see, when your parents are famous, people befriend you just so they can meet them. After learning her best friend is just pretending, Ruby arranges to be transferred across the country, where she tells everyone her parents are dead. We get to then watch Ruby emerge from her cocoon as for the first time, people let her know she is both talented and a great friend. Not only does this book have the perfect message for young girls, but it's a super-fun read!
My next book was from a fellow blogger some of you may recognize. Melanie Schulz blogs about her life, writing, and great books. She also writes great books herself...namely, a series called The Newstead Trilogy. I started with Volume 1:
Warning: This book will pull you in from the start...and it won't let you go until the end. Then you'll want to grab book #2 and read it immediately! Don't say you haven't been warned. Joel is living a fairly normal life with his single mom when he is recruited to join Newstead, an all-boys' school. He has a bad feeling about the school, but he doesn't listen to his intuition. He should have. What follows is an exciting mystery-slash-adventure with a little romance thrown in. I loved the way Melanie slowly revealed the truth about Newstead. You'll love this one!
Nick Wilford is a blogging buddy of mine, so I was excited to read his anthology, A Change of Mind and Other Stories.
Most of the book is a phenomenal story called A Change of Mind. It stars Reuben, a timid man who deals with constantly being bullied. You know the type--walks around with his shoulders slumped. Reuben stumbles upon the answer to all of his problems: a surgical operation that will give him more confidence. Only things go very wrong in a very Twilight Zone-ish way. In addition to this bigger story are five much smaller stories. I found Marissa especially good--and I demand Nick turn it into a book so I can find out what happens next! The entire book reminded me of the British TV series Black Mirror, which streams in America on Netflix. This is the kind of sci-fi I love...so I'm eager to read more of Nick's books.
The last book this month is a fun young adult novel from HarperCollins' Epic Reads Impulse line. I instantly fell in love with the title of this one.
There are so many things to love about The Jock and the Fat Chick. The story is told from the male POV and the author, who is definitely not a male, did such an amazing job of capturing the mind of the adolescent male. I also loved the fact that when we saw the "fat chick" through the main character's eyes, not once did she ever come across as even overweight. We saw her as he did--beautiful and curvaceous. In fact, the main guy was completely unattracted to bony girls. I know men like that exist...I've met them. It just made me want to hug this fictional guy on behalf of all of those men who like some curves on their women!
What's the best book you read in November?
I had so much fun reading this month's first book. Ruby Reinvented is Ronni Arno's debut novel and it's so much fun!
Ruby is the daughter of two mega-celebrities. The kind of celebrities even tweens know about. While that might seem like a cool life to lead, we learn through Ruby's story that it can royally suck. You see, when your parents are famous, people befriend you just so they can meet them. After learning her best friend is just pretending, Ruby arranges to be transferred across the country, where she tells everyone her parents are dead. We get to then watch Ruby emerge from her cocoon as for the first time, people let her know she is both talented and a great friend. Not only does this book have the perfect message for young girls, but it's a super-fun read!
My next book was from a fellow blogger some of you may recognize. Melanie Schulz blogs about her life, writing, and great books. She also writes great books herself...namely, a series called The Newstead Trilogy. I started with Volume 1:
Warning: This book will pull you in from the start...and it won't let you go until the end. Then you'll want to grab book #2 and read it immediately! Don't say you haven't been warned. Joel is living a fairly normal life with his single mom when he is recruited to join Newstead, an all-boys' school. He has a bad feeling about the school, but he doesn't listen to his intuition. He should have. What follows is an exciting mystery-slash-adventure with a little romance thrown in. I loved the way Melanie slowly revealed the truth about Newstead. You'll love this one!
Nick Wilford is a blogging buddy of mine, so I was excited to read his anthology, A Change of Mind and Other Stories.
Most of the book is a phenomenal story called A Change of Mind. It stars Reuben, a timid man who deals with constantly being bullied. You know the type--walks around with his shoulders slumped. Reuben stumbles upon the answer to all of his problems: a surgical operation that will give him more confidence. Only things go very wrong in a very Twilight Zone-ish way. In addition to this bigger story are five much smaller stories. I found Marissa especially good--and I demand Nick turn it into a book so I can find out what happens next! The entire book reminded me of the British TV series Black Mirror, which streams in America on Netflix. This is the kind of sci-fi I love...so I'm eager to read more of Nick's books.
The last book this month is a fun young adult novel from HarperCollins' Epic Reads Impulse line. I instantly fell in love with the title of this one.
There are so many things to love about The Jock and the Fat Chick. The story is told from the male POV and the author, who is definitely not a male, did such an amazing job of capturing the mind of the adolescent male. I also loved the fact that when we saw the "fat chick" through the main character's eyes, not once did she ever come across as even overweight. We saw her as he did--beautiful and curvaceous. In fact, the main guy was completely unattracted to bony girls. I know men like that exist...I've met them. It just made me want to hug this fictional guy on behalf of all of those men who like some curves on their women!
What's the best book you read in November?
November 23, 2015
Pizza, Pizza Everywhere!
I moved from a town with about ten restaurants (most fast food) to an area with about 50. We have family-owned breakfast places…
A couple of waterfront restaurants that make you feel like you’re on vacation…
And, of course, numerous chain restaurants.
In our old town, we’d listen for every announcement of a new restaurant opening, only to be disappointed when we heard it was yet another pizza place. By the time we moved, we had a Pie Five, Little Caesar’s, Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Papa John’s, Papa Murphy’s, and a family-owned place.
Where we live now, we probably have 20 pizza places within a ten-mile radius. Four are within the same half mile of each other.
So you can imagine my surprise when I heard Mellow Mushroom was occupying the space where a Mimi’s Restaurant once was. That makes five sit-down pizza places within a half mile: Pie Five, Mellow Mushroom, Brixx, NY Pie, and Windy City Pizza.
We aren’t a college town, unless you count community colleges. This is a residential area with typical families.
So what’s the deal? Do people eat anything but pizza?
